You might think you can avoid the dentist if you are brushing your teeth for 2-minutes twice per day and sticking to your flossing routine, but that is not the case. Despite adhering to an optimal oral care routine, you need to visit your dentist for professional cleanings. In this article, we will be going over why it is so important to get professional cleanings on a regular basis.

Reasons To Get Your Teeth Cleaned By A Professional:

1. Plaque and Tartar

No matter how good you are at brushing your teeth and flossing and no matter how expensive your toothbrush is, you’re going to experience plaque and tartar formation. It is a natural process and as well as you care for your teeth, it is bound to happen.

The only way to get rid of excess plaque buildup and tartar after it has formed is through professional dental cleanings. They have the professional equipment needed to scrape harmful hardened tartar off of your teeth.

Without getting rid of tartar, it can eat away at your teeth and gums which can eventually lead to larger-scale issues like gum disease.

2. They Can Point Out Issues

By getting your teeth professionally cleaned, they will be able to point out problem areas in your mouth or issues with your current dental cleaning routine. They will be able to tell whether or not you are brushing and flossing your teeth properly.

If they notice you aren’t doing something right, they can point it out to help you correct it which can lead to better long term dental health. Likewise, they will be able to spot other issues that you might not be able to notice on your own like signs of oral cancer.

3. Whiter Teeth

By getting your teeth professionally cleaned, it will yield whiter teeth. You will notice your teeth not only feel much cleaner after a dental cleaning, but you will also notice improvements in how they look.

This is primarily due to the dentist/hygienist’s ability to clean the surface stains off of your teeth. By getting rid of surface stains that buildup from drinking coffee and other lifestyle habits, you should notice a brighter and more attractive looking smile.

4. It Doesn’t Hurt

A lot of people look to avoid going to the dentist because they assume that getting your teeth cleaned hurts. The truth is, dental cleanings have become very comfortable compared to the past.

The latest technology really helps to make dental cleanings comfortable and much more gentle than ever before. Along with this, a lot of dentists will apply numbing agents on both your teeth and gums which can make the cleaning experience even more painless.

5. Your Insurance Covers It

If you have your own insurance with dental coverage, you are likely covered for routine cleanings. After all, insurers are looking to keep their clients healthy because it costs them less in the long run.

Even if you don’t have insurance, you will be able to find cleanings for an affordable price. Ultimately, it is an investment in keeping your dental health as optimal as possible because issues with your dental health can be very costly.

Even worse, dental health issues tend to spiral into general health issues because of the link between gum disease and other health problems like heart disease.

Overall, there are plenty of reasons you should be looking to schedule an appointment with your dentist every 6-months. By getting your teeth routinely cleaned, you will be able to maintain optimal oral health. Not only will it keep your teeth looking great, but it can keep larger issues at bay.

How often a person visits the dentist is unique to his or her situation. Currently, how many trips a year do you make to the dentist’s office? At the very least, a person needs to visit the dentist once a year. This would be for an annual checkup and routine cleanings. Yet there can be many other reasons that people need to make an appointment.

Furthermore, people sometimes choose to have their teeth cleaned more than once a year. This is especially true when people are fighting against gingivitis and periodontal disease, or gum disease. People in those situations need to go to the dentist every 3 months for a professional cleaning cleaning.

Check for Gum Disease

Do you have gum disease? If you do, you are certainly going to want to go to the dentist more than once a year. Even if you don’t, there are times as mentioned when people have to make appointments for procedures other than routine cleanings. There are even dental emergencies.

Fillings

Sometimes fillings need to be addressed, extractions need to be done and so on. Wisdom teeth typically cause a person at some point to have to make more than just a routine dental appointment. Wisdom teeth can also cause a person to have to opt for oral surgery.

Teeth Whitening Options

There are also teeth whitening procedures and other types of cosmetic procedures, too. At some points in your life, you might find that you don’t have to go to the dentist very often at all. Then at other times, you might be making appointments more often than you thought you ever would.

Make An Appointment

It really depends on the situation. To add, some work that you might need done could take more than one appointment. When is the last time you had any dental work done? Sometimes that work takes time, and you will have to make multiple appointments.

Any extra appointments you make will be on top of the ones you make for your annual checkup and cleaning. The more you stay on top of your dental care, the better shape your teeth will be in overall. You are going to want to keep those choppers in tip top shape for good health. Your dentist is going to help you do that.

Listen to your dentist because he or she will make recommendations. You will want to take your dentist up on those recommendations, too, for the most part anyway. There might be times when you would rather not do some cosmetic work and save the money. Dental work can be expensive, but you do want to keep your teeth in the best shape possible.

If it’s been awhile since you have been to the dentist, it’s time to catch up and make that appointment. If no exams need to be done, the appointment will consist of a checkup and talk with the dentist and a cleaning by the hygienist. Don’t delay, and instead, make your annual dentist appointment today. You will feel good about taking good care of your teeth.

One of the first things you should know before going to see a dentist is what you should be expecting from the first visit.

Is your first visit going to be an initial consultation? A full exam? Will there be x-rays taken?

What should you be expecting when you go and see the dentist?

Each dentist is going to approach your first visit a little longer.

If your first visit is going to be a general exam and oral check-up, you can expect a teeth cleaning, x-rays and a visual inspection by the dentist. They are going to be reviewing your overall oral health. Looking for any particular dental complications, mouth/jaw diseases and other small issues like teeth grinding or build-up of plaque in a certain area of your mouth.

They will be taking all of this information and will then go over this with you after your initial exam.

If your first visit is regarding a cosmetic issue, like replacing a missing tooth, or an overall smile make-over. You should expect a more consultation approach to your visit.

For cosmetic issues, a dentist is often going to want to look over your mouth, gums, and teeth in order to determine what all is going to be necessary to accomplish your goals and desired look.

Will the staff review the cost of procedures before treatment is done?

Cost of procedures is a very important detail that you need to know before going to have a procedure done.

Before your first visit, you should find out with the dental staff what the cost of your visit will be. They can often provide you with this information beforehand, as they have a typical price for general procedures.

You should find out whether you will be responsible for the whole cost beforehand or after the procedure. Also, if you have insurance, you’ll want to find out if they accept your insurance or not.

Make sure you specifically tell the dental staff when making your appointment, that you want to know the cost and that any extra costs will need to be approved by you before the procedure happens.

So, if x-rays are not included in the cost you’re quoted, you don’t want them to come along and say, “Oh, this is your first visit and we need to go ahead and take x-rays.” You don’t think anything of this, so you go and get your x-rays taken and then are surprised when the price jumps by $100. Make sure that everything is clear beforehand.

Now, there are going to be some kinds or procedures that you’re not going to be able to firmly know the price beforehand. For instance, a dental implant to replace a missing tooth might have a generic set price by the dentist, but once you get into the office and they review your mouth, they might determine that you have some complication that is going to require more work and thus cost more money. This should be able to be found out during the initial discovery consultation. So even then, there shouldn’t be “surprise” costs that accumulate.

Does the dentist keep up with new advancements in science?

This may be a harder one to find out, but it’s good to know that your dentist is staying on top of the latest in dental breakthroughs. Now, just like other medical fields, dentists are required to take continuing education. So there is going to be a certain degree that the dentist will be apprised of the latest finds in the field.

You can find out how many hours your dentist is required to take in continuing education depending on the state you live. Check out this link here -> Dentist CE Requirements

This should help reassure you, however, it’s still good to ask if the dental office is incorporating some of the newer technologies.

Do they use dental lasers?

What kind of dental crowns do they use, are they able to process crowns/bridges during the same day?

What kind of advanced cancer screening procedures do they have in place?

Do they incorporate digital dentistry?

Do they have advanced sterilization systems?

Are you able to check your dental records online through a patient management system?

These are just a few questions. You can also search online for some newer dental technologies that have come out and form your own questions to ask.

The bottom line is that you want to have a discussion with your dental provider to make sure that they’re not falling behind in the important aspects of dental breakthroughs.

Well, that’s it for now. Check back soon for some more awesome articles on dentistry and finding the right dental practice for you!

Brushing your teeth is one of the necessary life skills that every child should learn. Helping your child adopt the habit of brushing his/her teeth twice daily for at least 2 minutes is not a small feat, but a bit of creativity goes a long way when it comes to his/her dental health in the long run. Here are 5 effective ways for making brushing fun for children.

1. Singing

Children love singing and playing and you should take advantage of this by singing them a silly song or turning on one of their favorite songs to encourage them to brush their teeth. Tell your child or children to brush their teeth for the duration of the song since it makes time go by faster for them because the music acts as a distraction.

2. Storytelling

Telling your children stories about teeth brushing is an excellent way to educate them on the importance of proper oral care. You can even try reading a story to them while they are brushing their teeth. Depending on how long it will take you to read a short story, it is possible to finish the story at the same time the child finishes brushing his/her teeth.

3. Use the Right Toothbrush

A brightly colored toothbrush or one with your child’s favorite character on it usually does the trick for most children. Children often have a hard time reaching the back molars, so you can use a battery-powered or electric toothbrush since they work well to clean all the surfaces of the teeth.

Allowing your children to choose their own toothbrush and toothpaste is an excellent way to make them more responsible for their gums and teeth. The other advantage is that your children get to choose toothpaste flavors they like. Always ensure that the toothpaste you buy for your children contains fluoride and has a stamp of approval by the American Dental Association (ADA).

4. Make it a Game

Making a game out of teeth brushing is a great way to make it fun for children. You can have the child role play with you while brushing his/her teeth.

Some fun ways to do this is to have the child pretend to be your dentist who has to check for cavities. You can use a small mirror to make it a fun game for them. You can then pretend to be your child’s dentist and then find ‘bugs’ in their mouth that can only be destroyed by brushing teeth.

Fun games make teeth brushing exciting. Another great tip is to brush your teeth when your children brush theirs. Brushing teeth at the same time makes it a game for the family and your children see that you are doing a “chore” just as they are.

5. Using a Timer

Older children might not necessarily respond to games, stories, and singing, so consider using a simpler approach to brushing their teeth using a timer. Set the time for 2 minutes and they will know they are done when it dings.

Using a timer makes it easier for children to remember how long they should brush their teeth. This approach prevents them from brushing too fast because they will know that they are not finished until they hear the timer ringing.

The Bottom Line

You know your child’s personality best, so you will choose the approach that you know they will love. Some children might prefer games while others might prefer singing or even storytelling. The important thing is to ensure that whatever option you choose is enjoyable and lighthearted so that your children start looking forward to brushing their teeth.

We’re in the planning stages, but we want this to become the ultimate dentist directory. The place that people come to find the very best dentists in their area. No matter where you live!

Our goal is to ‘vet dentists in each city and find the ones that people should definitely be going to and who knows, maybe create a consumer warning system to help identify the dentists you should avoid at all cost!

We’ll see what the site evolves into. Again, we’re just in the planning stage currently, so don’t get “too” excited just yet 😉

Hopefully you’ll be hearing from me soon. For now, check out this video on finding a good dentist in your city!